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South African league announces windows for next three seasons going into 2028

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2025The next edition of the SA20, season four, is set to kick off on Boxing Day 2025. This was announced on Monday, with the league firming up windows for the next three editions ahead of this season’s playoffs. Bringing the start of the league forward to Christmas week – prime time in the South African cricket calendar – was possible because South Africa do not have any home Tests scheduled over the 2025-26 summer.Seasons five and six will revert to second-week-of-January starts, likely beginning on January 9 in both 2027 and 2028, with the season stretching five to six days longer than the ongoing one. CSA confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the dates announced were not specific start and end dates, but windows within which the league will be played.In 2025-26, South Africa travel to India for an all-format tour in November-December before returning home for the SA20, which will conclude by January 26. Then, South Africa host West Indies for a T20I series.Related

• Started from the bottom now they're here – the MI Cape Town story

• Batters find life tougher in the SA20, but is it all the pitches?

• Root: 'T20 is about problem-solving, just on a much quicker scale'

Starting the SA20 on Boxing Day would have an impact on player availability, with the Ashes on in Australia, running till January 8. Joe Root for one, who was on the podium this season for most runs ahead of the playoffs, will be one of the players to almost surely to miss the start next time.Bringing next season up should ease the competition for players with the ILT20 a bit – for their first three seasons, both tournaments ran concurrently almost from start to final – but there will still be a significant clash with the Big Bash League in Australia and the Bangladesh Premier League, both of which usually begin in December.”Confirming the Betway SA20 window for a three-year period allows the League to bring certainty to all stakeholders and assists in securing our place when planning the global calendar,” SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith said. “We know fans respond particularly well to weekend and holiday fixtures, and with the ICC T20 World Cup in early February next year, our Season 4 dates provide the unique opportunity to capitalise on South Africa’s peak cricket season and key public holidays.”Early planning has also meant that we are able to look at an extended window from 2026-27 and this will optimise scheduling, logistics and the fan experience.”Spacing the games out more would be welcome by most players and support staff. Robin Peterson, MI Cape Town’s head coach, said on Sunday night after his team gave their bench game time in a dead rubber against Pretoria Capitals: “Definitely more space should be helpful, to be honest with you. It feels as though we play, we’re on a plane and then next day we play again. That’s one of the challenges of this tournament.”It’s not only that it’s tough cricket on the field; it’s the scheduling, the planning, who needs to take a break, how you put your squad together that adds an extra dimension to the thought process. I do feel that a little bit more downtime would be helpful.”A SA20 media release said decisions on the windows were taken into account by “a working group made up of representatives from both the League and Cricket South Africa”.

SA20 windows for the next three seasons

SA20 season four: December 26, 2025, to January 26, 2026
SA20 season five: January 9 to February 14, 2027
SA20 season six: January 9 to February 13, 2028

Champions Trophy qualification is also at stake – England wouldn’t want to miss out, while for Netherlands it could be a life-changing event

Andrew Miller07-Nov-2023

Big picture – Total Cricket meets Total Wipeout

That’s right, here’s one in the eye for all those glory-seekers in the upper echelons of the World Cup table, queuing up for their invite to the big dance in Ahmedabad in two weeks’ time. There’s a punier title up for grabs in Pune on Wednesday – so puny, in fact, that it’s not even an official title, unlike the one that an England amateur team claimed at European Cricket Championships in Malaga last month. And look who they beat by eight wickets in the final… none other than the defending champions, Netherlands! Call off this farce! Cricket’s come home already!In all seriousness, England would be all too happy to walk away from this miserable campaign right now. Saturday’s 33-run loss to Australia finally confirmed the end of their increasingly tenuous hold on the 2019 crown, but they’ve got two further opportunities for humiliation looming – here in Pune, and then against a late-surging Pakistan in Kolkata on Saturday, and they are in quite the psychological bind as they approach them. A brace of victories would be too little, too late for the torched reputation of an ex-world-beating team, but defeat in either could also confirm their elimination from the 2025 Champions Trophy; and that really would be the perfect BOGOF fall from grace.There could be no better time, therefore, for an upbeat, optimistic and hugely tenacious Netherlands team to face down a side against whom they have a proven reputation on the world stage. Both of their victories in this competition to date, against Bangladesh and South Africa, have showcased a never-say-die spirit (especially in their lower-order batting) that their next opponents have been singularly unable to replicate. And, having already eliminated three other Test nations – West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe – simply to emerge from a brutal qualifying tournament in July, they unquestionably have the pedigree, and the recent form, to land another haymaker on a supposedly superior nation.Related

• Mott chasing success against Orange to avoid being red-faced

• How Netherlands will plot for their best shot at Champions Trophy

• Moeen Ali: 'England didn't see writing on the wall'

And so, if desire – desperation almost – is an unquantifiable factor in sporting match-ups, you might almost consider Netherlands to be favourites for this contest – which is a preposterous notion when you consider what happened when these two sides met in Amstelveen 18 months ago, at the start of Matthew Mott’s reign as England’s white-ball coach. But the effortless surety of purpose with which England racked up that world-record 498 for 4 has evaporated, to be replaced by something stale and unfamiliar. “Maybe the writing was on the wall, and we just didn’t see it,” was Moeen Ali’s typically honest assessment this week, as he faced up to the notion that an ageing team had simply curdled on the eve of their final reckoning.What, then, will it matter to this set of players if they flunk their final assignment in this coming week? Moeen stressed the importance of Champions Trophy qualification for “potentially, the younger players coming in”, but altruism is an unlikely motivational tool if raw ambition couldn’t rouse them in the first place. And besides, if that challenge does prove to be beyond them, their absence would almost certainly be balanced out by a bonus Test tour of the West Indies – it’s not as if the ECB struggles for reasons to fill any given void.For Netherlands, however, a more existential opportunity has reared its head. Quite apart from the glory of beating England at a(nother) World Cup, Champions Trophy qualification would have the potential to transform their ever-precarious finances, to give them a reason to lock in some long-term sponsors and build through the 2025 event to access the 2027 World Cup beyond. “It adds a massive element to these two games,” Scott Edwards, Netherlands’ captain, told ESPNcricinfo on the eve of the match. And, he added, with England sitting below them in the standings, “it puts us on a little bit of a level-playing field”.

Form guide – England on a losing streak

England LLLLL

Netherlands LWLLW

In the spotlight – Jos Buttler and Roelof van der Merwe

In the wake of the Australia defeat, Jos Buttler acknowledged that his catastrophic loss of form had “really hurt us”, but insisted that he hadn’t stopped “believing” in his ability to influence the big moments of England’s campaign. “You guys will give up on me a lot earlier than I’ll give up on myself,” he told the media after that match. And yet, the evidence of his tournament tells another story. It’s not simply the runs that Buttler hasn’t made, or the lack of speed in his scoring rate (106 from 113 balls all told, at 15.14). It’s the lack of surety in his strokeplay that speaks most loudly. His indecision in the channel outside off has resulted in three caught-behinds and one inside-edge onto his stumps out of seven dismissals, and with all of his focus on that weakness, he hasn’t yet produced a single scoop, paddle or reverse sweep – three of the staples of the 360-degree game. In fact, he hasn’t looked this bereft at the crease since his agonising Ashes tour in 2021-22… and that was the last time he ever put himself forward for Test cricket.No-one epitomises the levels of vein-popping hunger in the Netherlands’ ranks quite like Roelof van der Merwe, one of the most pugnacious competitors ever created. He turns 39 on New Year’s Eve, but still bounds through every contest with an infectious optimism, allied to deep levels of skill and resolve. His stunning catch at point in the T20 World Cup sealed a famous victory over South Africa last year, and he was their heartbeat again as they completed the double in Dharamsala last month. His vital 29 from 19 at No. 9 gave his captain, Edwards, the belief to post a defendable total, before his left-arm spin closed down South Africa’s hopes with 2 for 34. And, as a proven winner with Somerset on the county circuit – including in this year’s T20 Blast – there is nothing about English cricket that holds any fears for him. Particularly at this anxious juncture of his opponents’ evolution.Scott Edwards: Champions Trophy qualification “adds a massive element to these two games”•ICC via Getty Images

Team news – Ben Stokes could sit this one out

Mark Wood will miss out with a left knee niggle, after wearing a brace during his exertions against Australia, which means Gus Atkinson could be in line for a recall after his solitary outing against South Africa last month. Brydon Carse, Reece Topley’s stand-in, is another alternative. Meanwhile, Ben Stokes’ various ailments could cause him to sit this one out, now that World Cup qualification is off the table. Either way, Harry Brook is certainly worth of a recall. Quite apart from being the future of the team across formats, he is the only specialist batter in the squad with a strike-rate above 100.England (probable): 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ben Stokes/Harry Brook, 5 Jos Buttler (capt, wk), 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 David Willey, 10 Gus Atkinson/Brydon Carse, 11 Adil RashidMax O’Dowd and Wesley Barresi are likely to get another chance to settle as a new opening pair after the omission of Vikramjit Singh against Afghanistan. Saqib Zulfiqar was the weak link in the bowling attack in that same match, and may make way for fellow legspinner Shariz Ahmad.Netherlands (possible): 1 Max O’Dowd, 2 Wesley Barresi, 3 Colin Ackermann, 4 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 5 Scott Edwards (capt, wk), 6 Bas de Leede, 7 Logan van Beek, 8 Roelof van der Merwe, 9 Shariz Ahmad, 10 Aryan Dutt, 11 Paul van Meekeren

Pitch and conditions

There have been three World Cup matches to date in Pune, none of them especially close, although the evidence of two unfazed run-chases by India and Afghanistan is that middling scores of 250-odd are insufficient when batting first – South Africa fared rather better in the third game, in putting 357 for 4 on the board in their hefty win against New Zealand. England have some recent experience of this venue, having played three ODIs on their 2020-21 tour of India. They lost the series 2-1, but overhauled an imposing 336 with 39 balls to spare in game two, thanks to a Jonny Bairstow hundred and 99 from 52 from Stokes.3:09

Hopkinson: England struggled with executing under pressure

Stats and trivia – unlikely rivalry on the global stage

• England have not lost to Netherlands in six previous ODIs, three of which have come at World Cups, in 1996, 2003 and 2011.
• In all global tournaments, however, the rivalry is significantly more intense. The teams have met twice more, at the T20 World Cups in 2009 and 2014, where Netherlands pulled off shock victories on each occasion.
• Buttler needs another 71 runs to reach 5000 ODI runs, in 151 innings. That, however, would be eight more runs than he has managed in his last six innings of this tournament.
• David Willey, who has confirmed his retirement from international cricket at the end of the World Cup, needs five more wickets in a maximum of two games to reach 100 in ODIs.
• Bas de Leede, with 11 wickets, has struck more times in this tournament than any of England’s bowlers. Adil Rashid has been England’s best on show, with ten wickets at 30.40, but that mark has been matched by two further Netherlands bowlers, Logan van Beek and Paul van Meekeren, and at better averages too.
• England have lost five ODIs in a row, emulating their losing streak from this time last year against Australia and South Africa, as well as previous such streaks in 2011 and 2014. However, they have not lost six in a row since the 2009 home series against Australia, which eventually finished 6-1 after a consolation victory in game seven.

Quotes

“I’m not quite sure why I’m the man to explain. I think that I’m an assistant coach with the England team.”
“England are world champions. In South Africa, where I’m from, there’s a famous saying: ‘Never underestimate a wounded buffalo.”

England fast bowler stands up for his colleague after handing over world record baton

Vithushan Ehantharajah02-Jul-2022James Anderson came out in defence of Stuart Broad after his opening partner was on the receiving end of history against India at Edgbaston.Broad experienced the ignominy of conceding a record 35 runs from his 18th over, as India’s tail rallied on day two of this fifth Test to lift their team to a first innings total of 416. His misery was compounded by the fact the batter causing the carnage was India’s No. 10, Jasprit Bumrah.The stand-in India captain teed off to smash four fours and a two sixes, swinging himself off his feet at one point, as Broad persisted with short-pitched deliveries, as per the fields set. As well as a no-ball, Broad contributed five wides himself. The over finished with a scampered single, resulting in Broad attempting to run out Mohammed Siraj in his follow-through, decimating the stumps but missing out on the dismissal.Related

• Ravindra Jadeja proud to prove his worth with maiden overseas century

• Bumrah tees off as Broad bowls most expensive over in Tests

• Bumrah cameo and three-for make it India's day amid rain breaks

• Ravindra Jadeja, India's 'Mr Dependable', comes to the rescue again

It was particularly unedifying given Broad had become only the sixth bowler – and third quick – to take 550 Test wickets when he had Mohammed Shami caught at deep third man. Broad has now conceded the most runs in an over in two formats, having been struck for six sixes by Yuvraj Singh during the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007.Anderson, who took 5 for 60, was philosophical about Broad’s plight. He was speaking from a position of empathy, too, given he jointly held the previous Test record of 28, conceded against George Bailey during the 2013-14 Ashes.”Yeah, [it is] just one of those things,” Anderson said at stumps. “On another day one of those top edges goes straight to hand. If that gets taken nobody talks about the over.”I thought it was pretty unlucky. There’s plenty of top edges, a couple of good shots but that’s the plan Ben [Stokes] wanted Broady to go with. Broady stuck to it and on another day when the luck was with Stuart an edge probably would have gone to hand.”It capped off a loose morning for England, who looked to be losing the thread of the innings by persisting with a short-ball tactic against India’s lower order. The tourists began on 338 for 7, before Ravindra Jadeja went to his third Test century. The left-hander was the ninth wicket to fall on 375, only for the final pair – led by Bumrah’s 31 not out – to clatter 41 more.Though England took the new ball, they kept to their predominantly leg-side field in the hope of a catch to close out the innings. By the time it came, with Broad holding on to Siraj down the ground off Anderson, India had clearly gained the initiative. Anderson, who now has 656 wickets and 32 five-wicket hauls, said there were no regrets over the tactics.”Sometimes it can be easier to bowl at top-order bats to be honest,” he said. “I do remember a few balls to Siraj: he tried to hit two out of the ground and the next one played a perfect forward defence. It can be tricky to get into a rhythm against them. You’ve just got to try and back yourself that your best ball will get them out eventually.”

They added 186 for the fourth wicket after Ibrahim Zadran set the base with his third Test fifty

Firdose Moonda10-Mar-2021
Afghanistan’s captain Asghar Afghan became his country’s second Test centurion after Rahmat Shah and played an entertaining innings to cap a commanding opening day for his team in the second Test against Zimbabwe. Afghan shared a record 186-run fourth-wicket partnership with Hashmatullah Shahidi, who is 14 away from recording Afghanistan third hundred, and built on the foundation laid by young opener Ibrahim Zadran.The 19-year old scored his third Test fifty and dominated a 50-run second-wicket partnership with Shah, which put Afghanistan on track to go big on a dry, flat track in Abu Dhabi.Although the venue is the same as the one used for the first Test, the pitch is entirely different. While last week’s strip was green tinged with extra bounce on offer, this week’s is placid though there is suggestion it could take turn later on, perhaps in time for Afghanistan’s legspinner Rashid Khan, who recovered from a finger injury to make the XI, to come into play.For Zimbabwe, the going was tough and they made use of all seven bowlers at their disposal, with little success. Apart from a hint of swing in the morning, there was no assistance for the seamers and with the cracks only expected to come into play later in the match, the spinners did not have much to work with either.Blessing Muzarabani adjusted to a fuller length relatively well and Victor Nyauchi found movement with the new ball. Nyauchi enjoyed early success when he found Javed Ahmadi’s outside edge as the opener searched outside offstump and nicked off to Sean Williams at third slip.Zadran’s technique was tighter than his opening partner’s and he was discerning in his shot selection. He drove an overpitched delivery from Muzarabani down the ground, chipped a half-volley on the pads over midwicket and found the gap between third man and gully. In attempting a different length, Nyauchi tried the short ball to Zadran and he was sent to the midwicket fence.Shah provided Zadran good support and forced Williams to introduce the change bowlers earlier than he may have liked. After using Muzarabani for an eight-over spell upfront in the first Test, Williams only gave him a five overs here and Donald Tiripano was brought on in the 11th over.Zadran and Shah navigated him comfortably, and their partnership grew to fifty, with runs coming fairly easily until they pushed for one too many. Zadran hit Tiripano into the gap at deep extra-cover and completed a comfortable two, before deciding to try a third. Shah was slow to respond, Tarisai Musakanda sent in a strong throw just over the stumps at the striker’s end for Regis Chakabva to do the rest.Spin was introduced in the over after that dismissal and almost had an early impact. Sikandar Raza appealed for a catch off his own bowling when Zadran, on 31, played the ball straight back to him but replays showed the ball touched the ground as Raza’s fingers curled around it.Zadran was slightly more conservative in his approach after the scare and reached his fifty after the lunch interval with a flick to backward square. Then, he grew more aggressive against spinners, stepping out against both Raza and Williams, to hit them down the ground for four. He did not have the same intent against Ryan Burl and pushed forward to defend one that turned enough to take the outside edge to end his innings on 72.That brought Afghan to the crease and after allowing himself some time to settle, he showed his intent. He dragged Williams over mid-on, dispatched Tiripano’s short balls, slogged Burl through midwicket and swept him to fine leg to race to 34 off 36 balls before slowing down in the lead-up to tea. Then, in the final session, with Hashmatullah as the perfect foil, Afghan decided to have some fun.Nyauchi’s second spell was saved for later in the day and treated with disdain by Afghan, who showed off his back-foot play with two strong whips. Afghan outscored Hashmatullah and brought up fifty with a single before Hashmatullah did the same, gently pushing the ball into the covers.Hashmatullah took advantage of short balls from the Zimbabwe’s spinners, who grew weary trying to make things happen but it was Afghan who stood out with his aggression. He took 16 runs off the first three balls of Burl’s eighth over, sending him over midwicket for six, to the same area for four and then through the covers for good measure.The second new ball did nothing to rein him in and Afghan reached his century in an Nyauchi over that he plundered 16 runs off. First, he swung to cow corner and got six to enter the 90s, then he cleared mid-off for two, then found four through the midwicket area and reached the milestone with a clean stroke to long-on. Afghan scored 84 of his 106 runs on the leg side and finished the day as Afghanistan’s highest individual scorer.

Lancashire lead by 211 runs with two wickets in hand going into final day

ECB Reporters Network18-Sep-2019
Middlesex claimed five wickets in a rather dramatic evening session at Emirates Old Trafford as they sought to inflict a first Championship defeat on the soon-to-be crowned Division Two champions Lancashire.Having spent the first two days of this match recovering from 34 for 6 to make 337 in reply to the home side’s 259, Dawid Malan’s bowlers had restricted the home side to 289 for 8 when bad light ended play 11 overs early. That gives Lancashire a lead of only 211 and it all but completed a second fine fightback by Middlesex after a day the first two sessions of which had been dominated by the batsmen.Miguel Cummins ended the day with figures of 4 for 50 but Ethan Bamber took two vital wickets with the new ball while Lancashire’s best contribution was made by Keaton Jennings, who was dismissed for 97 for the second time this season when he chopped a ball from Nathan Sowter onto his leg stump. Jennings’ dismissal ended his 127-run stand with Liam Livingstone and was the first of five Lancashire wickets to fall in 13 overs as the home side declined from 253 for three to 282 for 8.In the morning session a career-best 34 by Saqib Mahmood had enabled Lancashire’s batsmen to wipe out their 78-run first-innings deficit during a relatively quiet two hours’ cricket. Mahmood hit five fours before he was caught behind when playing forward to Cummins but his was the only wicket lost on a pitch which seemed to be flattening out after a first day in which 16 wickets fell.Lancashire’s domination continued during the second session when the only batsman dismissed was Josh Bohannon, who was lbw to Toby Roland-Jones for 28, having helped Jennings put on 51 for the third wicket .When he was three short of what would have been his first Championship century of the season, Jennings fell to Sowter, a dismissal which changed the course of what is proving to be the best game of Championship cricket seen at Old Trafford this season.Bamber had Livingstone caught behind by Simpson two overs after taking the new ball and then trapped Lancashire skipper Dane Vilas leg before for only two in his next over. Rob Jones fell to Cummins for 16, caught in the gully by Sowter, and when Tom Bailey was pouched by Malan at second slip for only four, Lancashire were faced with the prospect of defending a fairly modest target on the final day if they wished to defend their unbeaten record in Championship cricket.

Angela Williamson, who had worked as CA’s government relations officer in Tasmania, was terminated from the job in late June for a series of tweets criticising the Tasmanian government

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2018A former Cricket Australia (CA) employee, sacked over a series of social media posts criticising the Tasmanian government over the availability of abortions in the state, has taken the matter to the Fair Work Commission.Angela Williamson, who had worked as CA’s government relations manager in Tasmania since 2016, was informed via formal letter on June 29 that her employment had been terminated after the Cricket Tasmania Board lost confidence in her ability to do the job due to a succession of tweets about the inaccessibility of abortions, most recently on June 18.In that message, Williamson criticised the state’s health minister Michael Ferguson, describing him as “most irresponsible … gutless and reckless” for helping the government reject a parliamentary motion to return access to abortions in public hospital. In a report published by Fairfax Media, Williamson revealed she had been compelled to fly from Hobart to Melbourne on the mainland to have a surgical abortion in February this year.”We can confirm that Cricket Australia ended its employment arrangement with Ms Williamson in late June,” a CA spokesman said. “The circumstances surrounding that decision are now the subject of legal proceedings and it would be inappropriate for Cricket Australia to publicly comment on Ms. Williamson’s specific circumstances any further.”We will continue to follow and respect the current process. Cricket Australia respects an individua’s right to their opinion. However, it expects that employees will refrain from making offensive comments that contravene the organisation’s social media policy.”Williamson’s lawyer, Kamal Faroque, outlined their concerns about events. “Our client raised an important and personal view about the need to ensure that women in Tasmania have access to appropriate reproductive health services, and that she was disappointed in how the relevant government [official] had dealt with the issue in Parliament,” he told Fairfax Media.”Those views, and her raising them, have nothing to do with Cricket Australia or Cricket Tasmania, they have nothing to do with the work that she was performing and the question needs to be asked about why she has lost her job for this. In our view the actions of Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania have gone too far. Political opinion is a protected attribute under the Fair Work Act, but in this instance an employer is seeking to constrain that opinion, with a person losing their job as a result.”

The Indian captain was magnanimous in defeat and offered no excuses for his team’s no-show with the bat in the Champions Trophy final

Nagraj Gollapudi at The Oval18-Jun-2017In the end, Virat Kohli fronted up with a smile on his face. He had lost a match that India entered as favourites. India had a superior record over Pakistan at ICC events, including a win when the sides last met in the final of a global event, the World T20 in 2007. But it all came tumbling down in the final as Pakistan’s bowlers unraveled the Indian batting unit like a pod of green peas.India were that bad. Batting, bowling, fielding and intensity – they fell short in each of these facets of their game they had worked hard to improve in every subsequent match this tournament. Kohli was honest in defeat, gave credit to Pakistan for being the better team, but pointed that India should be proud to finish as the runner-up.”We can be very proud of that as a unit, and we leave here with our heads held high because we understand the kind of expectations and pressures we face as a team,” Kohli said. “Credit to everyone for standing up and showing that resilience and reaching the finals, and today we were outplayed in all departments.”They had to earn their win. They made us make those mistakes because of the way they were bowling and the way they applied the pressure in the field, as well. And we have no hesitations or shame to admit that we could not play our best game today.”Kohli did not hesitate to bowl first, perhaps because of India’s comfort factor in chases. He has done so Bangladesh in the semi-finals too. When it was their turn to bat, Mohammad Amir turned the match by removing Rohit Sharma and Kohli in his first two overs. Kohli admitted failure to stitch a partnership didn’t help matters.”Early wickets are never good, especially in a chase,” he said. “Then we kept losing wickets. One big partnership would have been the key to set it up nicely. It is always a bad feeling when you get out or the batting doesn’t work collectively. Not that we are not playing at our best, we tried our level best, but we just couldn’t make things happen today. But personally, yes, it does feel bad.”There were a couple of bright sparks, though: Bhuvneshwar Kumar walking virtually unscathed through the ring of fire and Hardik Pandya finally living up to the potential his captain had been speaking about throughout the campaign.Pandya was hungry to bowl throughout the Pakistan innings and was the second-most economical Indian bowler behind Bhuvneshwar. Bowling with intensity and hard lengths, Pandya bowled some tight middle overs. He showed the same attitude with the bat.India were down and out at 72 for 6 in 17 overs. Unaffected, Pandya smashed a 32-ball half-century to give India a glimmer of hope. “When Hardik started hitting, everyone started getting the feeling that we could take the game deep,” Kohli said. “That was a pleasant moment. If we can take the game deep, then we can probably get closer to the total. But again, a mix-up or an error at that stage, so these things happen on the field, you understand that as cricketers.”That mix-up was Pandya being run out after Ravindra Jadeja turned his back on him. Pandya bared his frustrations out in public, exchanging words with Jadeja and then grunting loudly all the way back to the dressing room. Kohli was clear Pandya did not need to be apologetic about letting his emotions get the better of him.”He felt he was in the zone today and he could have done something really special, and that’s why the disappointment came out. You’re so committed, you’re so motivated that when things don’t happen, and without even it being a mistake, it can get frustrating. You don’t understand why it has happening.”Earlier in the morning, Pakistan had plugged away as soon as their opening pair of Fakhar Zaman and Azhar Ali raised a robust 128-run partnership, which could only be broken through a run out. Kohli said it was Zaman who hurt India the most by his “high risk” strokeplay.”When guys like Zaman get going, he plays unorthodox shots, they’re really difficult to stop,” he said. “Eighty percent of his shots were high risk and they were all coming off. Sometimes you have to sit and say, the guy is good enough on the day to tackle anything. You can only do so much.”We certainly tried to make them hit in areas that we felt it would be uncomfortable, but we just didn’t have anything going our way in that partnership. Yes, they opened it up a little bit, but they kept going positive, which was something that could have upset the lines and lengths of the bowlers.”The one area Kohli felt they could have done better was with the extras. India conceded 25 on Sunday, which he felt was a bit too much. “That’s something that we certainly need to take care of in the future. Obviously the same bowlers are going to play, the same guys are going to be back. The more consistent you get in learning from games like this, it’s better for the team in the future. So yeah, that’s an area we certainly need to look at.”

The Edgbaston pitch has been reported to the ECB over its indifferent bounce following the Specsavers County Championship match between Warwickshire and Somerset

ECB Reporters Network11-May-2016
ScorecardBowlers held sway at Edgbaston before the weather closed in•Getty Images

The Edgbaston pitch has been reported to the ECB over its indifferent bounce following the Specsavers County Championship match between Warwickshire and Somerset which ended in a draw when the final day was washed out.Eighteen wickets fell on the second day, after which rain prevented any further play, with numerous batsmen hit around the body and the surface was reported by the umpires to ECB liaison officer Tony Pigott. His findings will now be considered by an ECB disciplinary commission.”It was not the type of pitch we wanted,” admitted Warwickshire director of cricket Dougie Brown. “There were cracks but was it dangerous? No.”We all know here that Gary Barwell is the best groundsman in the country by a mile. He was preparing this pitch 14/16 days ahead, as always, and when he started it was in snow and ice. Then the weather flipped on its head and suddenly it was very hot, so the drying process was accelerated by the weather.”When the cricket liaison officer said the pitch had been reported we were incredibly surprised.”While Warwickshire await the commission’s findings, they will also wait to see whether captain Ian Bell’s injured hamstring will heal in time for him to play against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on Sunday.Somerset, meanwhile, were left deeply frustrated. With Warwickshire on four without loss in pursuit of their target at the end of the second day, the visitors fancied their chances, only for heavy cloud and mist to take up residence over Birmingham for 48 hours.”It was very disappointing,” said captain Chris Rogers. “On a wicket that was getting harder to bat on, we felt 320 was definitely a winning total.”There were a few concerns about the pitch. The groundsman didn’t quite get it the way he wanted to, though I think had a similar-looking wicket for their first game that didn’t play anywhere near as badly.”I have played on some excellent wickets here so this was different, but fortunately there were no real incidents.”Despite the frustration of not being able to press home a victory, Rogers was pleased with his side’s performance. Having spent most of their first three drawn games on the back foot, this time they held the initiative.”The innings from Tom Abell and Peter Trego were outstanding,” he said. “They really gave us momentum and, particularly when you are playing a good side, if a couple of guys step up and lead from the front, it carries through the rest of the team.”I think we bowled really well, pitched the ball up and challenged the batsmen and got our rewards. Everyone who got the ball in their hand did a really good job.”

Ben Cox responded to a vote of confidence with a career-best performance for Worcestershire in the draw with Hampshire at New Road.

14-Sep-2013
ScorecardBen Cox, seen here in one-day action, secured his future at New Road•Getty Images

Ben Cox responded to a vote of confidence with a career-best performance for Worcestershire in the draw with Hampshire at New Road. The rain-wrecked game was effectively dead as soon as Worcestershire avoided the follow-on but it was a big day for Cox.After his impressive innings of 65 from 113 balls, chief executive David Leatherdale confirmed he has been offered a new contract.Cox’s third half-century in Championship cricket – coupled with an unbeaten 61 by Shaaiq Choudhry – helped Worcestershire to 351 for 8, still 77 behind. A declaration then left Hampshire to make 69 for 2 before the teams agreed on the earliest possible finish at 4.20pm.Cox has had numerous ups and downs since 2009, when he was taken out of his studies at Bromsgrove School to score 61 against Somerset at Taunton in his first appearance in the championship. He has since had to compete for the wicketkeeping berth with Ben Scott and then the Australian Michael Johnson, but he is now the only senior gloveman in the squad following Johnson’s release last Tuesday.There were two ways the match could have gone on the final day. Worcestershire wanted to set up a run chase but Hampshire took the more difficult option in trying to enforce the follow-on.When Cox and Ross Whiteley resumed at 189 for 5, the home side still needed 90 to avoid batting again and they made it for the loss of only one wicket.Matt Coles often strayed down the leg side but James Tomlinson did make a breakthrough when bowling Whiteley for 38. From this point, Cox and Choudhry were in control. When the second new ball was taken, Cox confidently pulled Tomlinson for six and in the seamer’s next over he dismissed the follow-on threat with a well-timed cover drive.The last opportunity to open the game up passed by when Worcestershire batted on for bonus points after lunch. They added only four runs in 20 minutes before Cox edged to gully, giving Hampshire’s loan signing Coles his third wicket of the innings, but by then the match had lost its competitive edge.Hitting 10 fours in nearly three hours, Choudhry put on 78 with Cox and then 58 with Jack Shantry, who was bowled by Chris Wood for 27. Worcestershire called a halt after finding a bizarre way of collecting a fourth batting point. Wood flattened Choudhry’s leg stump but was called for a no-ball which nudged the total past 350.

Pakistan’s fast bowlers have not been performing to their market value but their captain has backed them to come good

Abhishek Purohit in Colombo27-Sep-2012Fast bowling has always been Pakistan’s most prized asset. To borrow from finance, it has been akin to a treasure chest of US government bonds, usually one of the safest investments on the planet. The batting in recent years has been like mid-market stocks, capable of volatility. Spin bowling has become a productive investment of late, with blue chips in Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi. But as capital from across the world flees to the safety of US government bonds in times of uncertainty, Mohammad Hafeez is confident his fast bowlers will recover from the expensive outings in the group stage and bowl like the match-winners they have been as the World Twenty20 gets tighter.”We are blessed with some of the greats in Twenty20s, especially Ajmal and Afridi,” Hafeez said. “This is our strength, even though we rely on our fast bowlers who unfortunately could not do well in the group matches. We are hoping they come up with good performances. Umar Gul is one of them.”The economy rates of Gul, Sohail Tanvir and Yasir Arafat after two games are 11.71, 9.66 and 9.25 respectively. The form of Gul, the joint-second highest wicket-taker in T20Is after Ajmal, is particularly worrying for Pakistan. Hafeez, though, said Gul was experienced enough to handle the issue.”He realises when he is not doing the basics right,” Hafeez said. “The good thing from what we can see is that he is very focused and working hard in practice. Bowling coach Mohammad Akram is working with him. We know he is our match-winner.”Pitches in the group matches were really good for batting. Our bowlers tried hard to get something out of them but sometimes you can have an off day. Anyone can have an off day, anyone can bowl badly. But with the positive attitude among our bowlers, I am confident they can return to rhythm soon.”Pakistan played both their group games in Pallekele but Hafeez said that with the side having experience of playing in Colombo, the change of venue for the Super Eights would not make much difference. “I know the conditions will change from Kandy to Colombo, adjustability will be a factor. We have played enough here in Colombo, we know the conditions well.”Hafeez said playing the Super Eights in Colombo gave the Pakistan spinners more opportunity to make an impact. “The pitches in Colombo in the tournament have been batting pitches so far. Spinners play a role here, there is some turn. There was not much turn in Pallekele. We feel with the kind of spinners we have, we will do well here in the Super Eights.”While Afridi’s role as legspinner will be crucial, Hafeez said Pakistan were also looking forward to his contributions with the bat. “We are relying on Afridi with both bat and ball. And we are very happy with his attitude during practice. He is batting very well during practice, and when the time comes, he will surely win the game for us.”The return of Kamran Akmal to the side has also boosted the batting, Hafeez said. Kamran smashed an unbeaten 92 as Pakistan came back from 91 for 5 to successfully chase 186 against India in a warm-up game. He also made an unbeaten 22 against Bangladesh, hitting the winning runs after Pakistan had sealed their qualifications to the Super Eights. “Kamran has been an excellent package for Pakistan as a wicketkeeper-batsman. Our batting has been strengthened by his comeback after a year.”